Comparing the Most Profitable Companies in Wolfram|Alpha

Recently, CNNMoney published stories highlighting the “20 most profitable companies” and those considered to be the “20 biggest money losers”. Companies such as Exxon Mobil, AT&T, Apple, and Verizon were ranked by their 2010 profits, with each of the 20 profitable companies bringing in well over a billion dollars.

Using the information provided by both articles, there are many opportunities to gain more data on each of the companies from Wolfram|Alpha. For example, Exxon Mobil topped the list of most profitable companies, but has it always been profitable? Entering “Exxon earnings” into Wolfram|Alpha produces data and graphs documenting its earnings history.

Adding a time period, such as “past 20 years”, expands the data to provide a more detailed view of its earnings.

In CNN’s “20 most profitable companies” article, it describes Exxon as being in “a league of its own” when compared to other oil companies like Chevron and ConocoPhillips. To get a more detailed look at just how far ahead Exxon is to the competition, enter “Exxon, Chevron, ConocoPhillips profits” into Wolfram|Alpha.

AT&T ranked second on the list of top performers, but one of its top competitors was nowhere in sight. Ask Wolfram|Alpha to compare AT&T and Verizon profits, and you’ll see that AT&T’s net income is nearly six times that of its chief competition—and those profits have grown dramatically since 2007, when the first iPhone launched on its mobile network.

You can also get a snapshot of how an individual company performs compared with the NASDAQ as a whole. Using an example from the “20 biggest money losers”, enter “Fannie Mae, NASDAQ” to see how it compares in terms of relative price history, price comparisons, and projections.

These are just a few of the ways Wolfram|Alpha can be used to learn more about the most and least profitable companies. The financial world is ever-changing, so make sure to return to Wolfram|Alpha for dynamic financial information!